Brand New Colony
by EspressoShot
Summary: With everything falling apart around him, it's only a matter of time before he starts to crumble himself.
1. Chapter 1

Note: Before reading this story, you may want to check out my oneshot "Back to Your Roots". It's not necessary to understand this story, but it sets the scene and introduces the OFC.

Brand New Colony

* * *

_Everything will change._

Darry Curtis gets off work at half-past six on Christmas Eve, and he doesn't get home until after seven o'clock. Sodapop darts out the door almost as soon as Darry gets there, saying something about how he has to go somewhere with Steve and Two-Bit, and he'll be right back. Ponyboy is in his usual spot on the couch, alternating between watching TV, reading, and smoking. He's been there pretty much all day every day since school let out for the break. Darry had hoped that getting his hair fixed would perk him up a little, and it did for a while. He went to a movie the day after Betty came over and fixed his hair, but he hasn't left the house since then. But it's not that Darry and Sodapop don't try to get their little brother to go out. They constantly offer to drive him places or suggest things for him to do, but Ponyboy always turns them down. He is perfectly content to sit on the couch all day. Darry worries about him, but he also can't blame him. Hell, if he had nothing to do but sit around all day, he'd take advantage of it. Especially after the week he'd had. Three families were instant that they have floors installed and walls painted before Christmas. One house isn't a small job, and three is almost impossible. And although Darry hates that he had to work so much overtime and spend so much time away from his brothers, he's glad for the extra money. For a while, it looked like they wouldn't be able to pay all their bills for the month.

The front door slams, Pony and Soda exchange a "hey", and then Soda starts stomping toward Darry's room. He goes in without knocking.

"What 'cha got?" Soda asks, gesturing to the piece of paper in Darry's hand.

"Is it a dirty picture?" Soda asks when Darry doesn't respond. "I wanna see."

Darry tires to pull it away, but Soda grabs it first.

"Betty Harrison," he reads. "I know that name from somewhere."

"She's the girl who fixed Pony's hair," Darry replies. "We went to high school together and went on a couple dates senior year. She was a cheerleader."

Sodapop thinks for a second, and then a look of clarity flashes across his face.

"The one with the big tits?" he asks.

Darry rolls his eyes and sighs, but he's been thinking about that very part of Betty every night since he last saw her.

"Yes, Soda. Her," he replies.

"Well, give her a call," Soda says. "Tell her to come over and wear something with a low neck."

Darry throws a punch at Soda, but he's already up off the bed and on his way out of the room, laughing at his brother's failure to land a punch.

XXX

Back when their parents were alive, Christmas Eve was a big deal. They'd go to church, drive around the rich neighborhoods looking at Christmas lights, and then come home and have a big dinner that their mother prepared. They learned early that there wasn't a Santa, but when they were still young enough to believe in him, they'd leave cookies and milk by the fireplace before going to bed early. Once they were older, they'd stay up late listening to Christmas records and playing cards. It was something that all three boys remembered fondly.

But now that their parents are gone, Christmas is less eventful. This year, they didn't even get each other presents. They skip church and the Christmas light drive, and they have sandwiches and the remnants of a chocolate cake for dinner. Steve comes in around ten o'clock with a black eye starting to form and a still-bleeding nose. He mutters a "merry fucking Christmas" before lying down on the couch and almost immediately passing out.

Ponyboy is in bed by eleven, and Sodapop is watching the end of a movie that Darry has never seen before on the TV. Darry thinks for a minute about starting a card game with Sodapop for old times' sake, but he decides against it. Soda never liked cards much anyway, and catching up on sleep sounds more appealing than trying to get him through a game of bridge.

Darry gets up out of the armchair, his knees and back crackling. Sodapop looks up at him from his seat on the floor.

"You OK?" he asks. "Want some Aspirin?"

Darry shakes his head. "I'm fine. Get to bed soon or Santa won't come."

Soda cracks a grin and nods. "Soon as this is over."

"Ok," Darry says. "'Night."

"'Night," Soda replies.

In his bed, in the dark and under the covers, Darry once again falls asleep with his hand down the front of his boxers, thinking of Betty.

XXX

He wakes up to light streaming in through the holes in the window shade. He groans and sleepily rolls over to check the time. Surely it can't be that late. He could use a few more hours of sleep.

Darry jumps and curses under his breath when he realizes it's already two-thirty in the afternoon. He needs to get up, spend time with his brothers, and catch up on the housework that he put off while he was so busy with work. He only has the rest of Christmas and the day after until he has to go back to work. But his eyelids are already starting to droop, and all he wants is to sleep.

_Five more minutes_, he thinks. _Then I'll get up._

When he wakes up again, the clock reads six-thirty. He swears, forces himself out of bed, and stumbles into the living room. Ponyboy looks up from the book he was reading and cocks an eyebrow.

"You're up," he says. "Soda and I were startin' to think you'd sleep through the whole day."

"Sure was thinkin' about it," Darry says. He rubs his eyes with his palms, trying to wake up.

"Steve go home?" Darry asked. "Where's Sodapop?"

"They just left. Soda was taking him home."

Darry nods and sleepily shuffles into the kitchen. It's taking all of his willpower not to make a pot of coffee. And the sight of the dishes piled in the sink, the muddy shoe prints on the floor, and the overflowing trashcan just makes him more exhausted. He sighs and shuffles back into the living room.

"You and Sodapop clean up the kitchen when he gets home," Darry says.

Ponyboy doesn't reply, and Darry knows that he was probably too engrossed in his book to hear him. He'll tell him again once Soda gets home. Right now, he has to do something for himself.

A voice that sounds vaguely familiar picks up on the other end.

"Hello?"

"Betty?"

"Speaking. Who's calling?"

He can feel a smile playing at the corners of his mouth, but there are also butterflies in his stomach.

"It's Darry. Darry Curtis. How you doin'? Have a good Christmas?"

"I'm good. Had better Christmases though. I was wondering if you'd ever call."

"Yeah, I'm sorry. Just got swamped with work. But listen, you free tomorrow?"

"Maybe. Who wants to know?" He can hear in her voice that she's teasing him.

"Was wondering if I could take you out for drinks. Catch up some more. Hear about this not-so-great Christmas you had."

"I'd like that," she says. And although he knew she'd say yes, Darry unconsciously breathes a sigh of relief.

"Third Street at around seven sound good?" he asks.

"Yeah, sounds good. I'll see you then," she replies.

"See you," he replies and hangs up the phone without saying goodbye.

XXX

Sodapop is back, and he looks quizzically at Darry.

"What's up with you?" Soda asks. "Ain't seen you smile like that since … I don't know when. You get laid or somethin'?"

Darry takes a sip of his beer and opens up the issue of _Sports Illustrated _that he bought on his way home from work on Christmas Eve.

"Darry?" Soda asks.

Darry just shakes his head. "You and Ponyboy go clean the kitchen."

* * *

S. E. Hinton owns The Outsiders. The Postal Service owns Brand New Colony.

Reviews are always appreciated!


	2. Chapter 2

Darry is running late and in a bad mood. He feels like he spent the whole day paying bills, running errands, and nagging Ponyboy and Sodapop to get on cleaning the kitchen. And then all the hot water got used up washing dishes, so he had to shower in water that was barely lukewarm. By the time he shows up to meet Betty, he's fifteen minutes late and his jaw is hurting because of how tight he's been clenching it. After his third attempt at parallel parking in a too-tight spot, he's beginning to wonder if he should have just rescheduled.

But he starts to think he made the right decision once he's inside the bar. Betty is sitting alone at a booth with a half finished Cosmopolitan in front of her and wearing a tight sweater that shows off her figure. He suddenly feels awkward as he walks over and tries to shake her hand, but she jumps up and gives him a hug. He'd forgotten how tiny she is. The top of her head barely reaches his shoulder. But Darry can't help noticing that what she lacks in height, she makes up for in her bust.

"Was starting to think I'd been stood up," she says. But she's smiling, and he can tell that she isn't mad.

"A guy would have to be a damn fool to stand you up," he says.

She blushes and stares down into her drink, but she's still smiling. A waitress comes by and takes Darry's drink order without asking for an I.D., and it bothers him more than it should.

"I'm gettin' old," he says. "Didn't even card me."

"Bull, you look the same as you did in high school. Look at me, I've gotten fat."

"Hardly," Darry says. His eyes involuntarily drift toward the low neckline of her sweater. He mentally scolds himself and quickly looks up. But he can tell by her smirk that she caught him looking. She's also polite enough, or flattered enough, to not say anything about it.

The waitress sets Darry's beer down in front of him, and Betty starts playing with the straw in her drink.

"So … how've you been since I saw you last? It's only been, what, a couple weeks?" Betty asks.

Darry shrugs. "Busy. Feel like all I've done is work. Had to put in a bunch of overtime this past week. Slept almost all of Christmas day. How 'bout you?"

"Same," she sighs. "All I ever do is work. Then on Christmas I got to go to my parents house and listen to my mom and dad bug me about why I couldn't have chosen a respectable career. And then my grandma went on her usual rant about how she was married by the time she was seventeen and had her first kid a year later and why can't I do that? So I got sick of it and left early, and now my whole family is mad at me."

"I'm sorry."

Betty drains her drink and motions for the waitress to bring them another round. Darry had only meant to have one drink, but he figures one more won't hurt.

"It'll all blow over. It always does," Betty says. "Grandma will remember that I'm the only one who can give her a perm that she likes, mom and dad will get tired of not seeing or hearing from me. It'll be good for a while, and then it'll get bad again. That's just how it works."

"'Least you still got parents to fight with."

Betty gives him a look that he can't quite read. She almost looks offended, and he starts to wonder if he should apologize. But then she nods in agreement.

"You're right," she says.

The waiter brings the second round, and they sip on their drinks for a few minutes in an awkward silence.

"I really am sorry about your parents," Betty says.

Darry nods. "Thanks."

"And I'm sorry I didn't keep up with you better. It's just…"

Her voice trails off. She's quiet for a minute, and then she sighs and shakes her head.

"You should hear the way they talk about you. Our old friends, that is. Should've known they were full of it. I'm sure they say the same things about me now. I haven't hung out with them in ages."

It's nothing Darry didn't already know. He had been slowly but surely drifting apart from his high school friends ever since graduation. At first, he didn't see much of them because they were off at college while he was at home working. After his parents died and he got custody of his brothers, he had even less time for them. He could tell that they didn't understand why he didn't have time for them even on weekends and holidays. And although there wasn't anything he could change, his old friends got more and more upset with him and started to put more distance between them. His fight with Paul at the big rumble sealed the deal. He isn't friends with any of them any more. And when they see each other around town, they pretend not to know each other.

"I figured they were," he says after taking a long drink from his beer. "Got into it with Paul Holden back in August, among other things."

"I hope you beat his face in."

"I did."

"Well good," Betty says. "He deserved it."

Darry laughs and Betty smiles at him.

"Well, anyway, I'm glad you looked me up," she says.

He smiles back at her. "I am too."

XXX

He ends up drinking another beer and staying out later than he planned. By the time he and Betty leave the bar, he knows that he should have been home and in bed over an hour ago. But he still insists on walking her the four blocks back to her apartment. It's partly because he doesn't like the thought of her walking home alone at almost eleven o'clock at night, and partly because this is the most fun he's had in a long time. But it's mostly because he wants to make sure that he's completely sober. It's been almost a year since his parents were killed in a drunken auto wreck, and he's not going to go out the same way. Not while he has his brothers to take care of.

They get to Betty's apartment, and Darry pulls her into a hug. She's warm in his arms, and for a split second, he wishes that he didn't have to let her go. But reality sets in. He needs to get home. He needs to go to work in the morning and look after his brothers, and he doesn't know when he'll be able to see her again. He sighs and pulls out of the hug.

"Gotta' get goin'," he says. "Work early in the morning."

"OK," she says. "Thanks for comin' out with me. I had fun."

"Yeah. I did too. But, look, Betty…"

"I know," she cuts him off. "You don't have a lot of free time. I don't have much these days either."

He shoves his fists in his pockets. "But when we're both free … I'd like to see you."

"I'd like that too," she replies.

"I'll call you soon, OK?" he asks.

"Yeah. OK."

"Well, goodnight."

"'Night," Betty says.

But neither one of them makes a move to walk away. They just stand on the stoop of Betty's apartment, bathed in the yellow glow of the streetlight, staring at each other. Finally, Betty sighs and takes a step toward Darry.

"You want somethin' done, you gotta' do it yourself," she mutters under her breath.

She stands up on her toes, and he bends over slightly. The kiss doesn't last long, but it's good enough for them. They're both smiling when their lips part.

"'Really should go," Darry says. "I'll call you."

"Ok," Betty says. "I'll be waiting."

He gives her one more quick kiss on the cheek and then forces himself to walk down the few cement steps and start down the block. He stops as he's about to cross the street and looks over his shoulder to see that Betty has disappeared inside her building. He breathes deeply a few times, trying to shake himself out of the fog he's in, and starts back toward the truck.

* * *

I'm hoping that this isn't too OOC for Darry, or too mushy already. Soo... call me out if it is? Please?

I'd love some reviews! I'm kind of iffy about this story, so feedback would be great! :D


	3. Chapter 3

Darry never thought he'd wish that he had to work, but today, he's desperate for a good reason to get out of the house. Ponyboy had one of his nightmares in the early hours of the morning, and none of the brothers were able to sleep after that. So the three of them sit in the living room in silence, Ponyboy curled up in Soda's arms and crying off and on, Sodapop staring blankly at the off-air TV, and Darry absently cleaning under his fingernails with his pocketknife. They all know what today is, but only Darry knows the whole story. He wonders if things would be different if his brothers knew. But, at the same time, he thinks they're better off not knowing. It's the reason he didn't tell them in the first place.

The three of them jump as the TV station suddenly comes back on the air, and the sound of the morning newscasters fills the room. But it's still too quiet. It's too different from the house's usual morning bustle, and it just adds to the oppressive atmosphere. He can't stand this. He's not like his brothers. Darry has never been the kind to wallow and dwell on his losses. It's easier for him to stay distracted and try to keep things out of mind. And while he knows that he should be there for his brothers, there's a rapidly tightening knot in his stomach, and he's afraid of what he'll do if he stays in the house all day.

Ponyboy sniffles and slowly stands up.

"Goin' back to bed," he says. His voice is hoarse.

"'K, buddy," Soda says. "I'll be there in a minute."

Ponyboy nods and stumbles back to the bedroom. Sodapop looks up, and Darry notices that his eyes are red. But he's not sure if it's from lack of sleep, crying, or both.

"You ok?" Soda asks.

Darry shrugs. "Think I should be asking you that."

"I'm fine. Just glad work is closed today," Soda replies. "I'm in no mood for it. And Ponyboy needs me."

"Hope he gets some sleep," Darry says. "Both of ya'll."

"I'll make him take some aspirin or a sleeping pill or somethin' if he don't," Soda says. "You should get some sleep yourself."

Darry shakes his head. "Don't think I could go back to sleep if I tried."

"You gotta' quit bottling everything up. You're gonna have a heart attack before you're thirty."

"Yeah, yeah. Ya'll gonna be OK if I go out for a bit?"

Sodapop nods and stands up. "Go sleep with your girlfriend. It'll be good for ya'."

Darry halfheartedly swats at Soda as he walks by, and then he forces himself out of the armchair and into the kitchen for more coffee. It's only seven-thirty, but he's wide-awake, and he knows that if he's going to go out and do something, it would be best to go while his brothers are sleeping.

He drains his cup of coffee in two big gulps and picks up the phone. He remembers Betty being a morning person. And hell, maybe she's still awake from the previous night. Either way, he hopes she'll see him.

XXX

Someone picks up on only the third ring.

"Who do you think you are, calling at this ungodly hour?" a gravelly voice that obviously isn't Betty asks.

At first, he thinks he dialed the wrong number. But then he starts to think that Betty mentioned having a roommate.

"Is Betty around?" he asks after a pause that he knows was too long.

"Yeah, Pollyanna is up and about," the person replies. Then slightly muffled, as if a hand is over the receiver, "come take your call. And ask why he's calling so early on International Hangover Day."

"Drink some water, Pearl," Betty says. And then into the phone, "Hello?"

"Betty?"

"Hey!"

"You busy? Wanna get some breakfast or something?" he asks.

"Love to," she replies.

"Pick you up in half an hour?" he asks.

"I'll see you then," she says.

XXX

She climbs into the truck and gives him a kiss on the cheek.

"Good to see you," she says.

"You too," he replies. "Glad you were up. I had to get out of the house for a while."

"Same. Pearl is a real drag when she's hungover. But what about you? Everything ok at your place?"

The knot in Darry's stomach is so tight that he doesn't think he can keep any food down. He feels like a bottle that someone's shaken until the top is about to pop off.

"Are you all that hungry?" he asks.

"Not really. Why?"

"You wanna just drive?"

Betty slides across the seat so she's right next to Darry. Driving with one hand usually makes him nervous, but the roads are practically empty, so he lets himself wrap an arm around her shoulder.

"Driving is fine," Betty says.

He makes a left turn and starts toward the river. There used to be a good place to park along the riverbank out toward Sand Springs. But it's been years since he's been there.

"It's been a year since my folks died," Darry finally says. "Today's the anniversary."

Betty gasps. "Oh, I'm so sorry. I knew it was around this time, but I had no idea it was today."

"Yep. Coming home from a New Year's Eve party. It was a drunk driver."

He sighs heavily. He's fighting the urge to punch the steering wheel, but instead he just grips it tighter.

"I'm the only one the cops talked to. I'm the only one who got to see what was left of the car. I had to go to the hospital and the coroner and all those other people to make arrangements. Just me."

"Darry," Betty says softly.

"And when Ponyboy and Sodapop asked me what happened, I told them it was a drunk driver. And it was. But what they don't know is…"

His voice trails off as he focuses on his breathing and on the road. He's gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles are white.

"What they don't know is that the drunk driver was our father. He took a turn too fast and wrapped the car around a telephone pole. Cops say they died on impact."

"Oh god," Betty whispers.

"Pony and Soda just assumed there was another driver who was the drunk one, and I didn't see any need to correct them. They don't have to know this whole thing is dad's fault. I don't _want_ them to know it's his fault."

"And you know what I got for my twentieth birthday four days later?" he asks. "I got family court dates, and appointments with social workers so that I could keep my brothers, and a funeral visitation. Happy fucking birthday to me."

As if by magic, they're at the spot by the river. It scares Darry a little that he was so zoned out while driving there, and he hopes that he didn't do anything stupid. He pulls the truck behind a couple of trees, puts it in park, and kills the engine.

"The worst part is that we're all gonna be reminded of this every New Year for the rest of our lives."

He turns to look at Betty. She's pale and her eyes are full of tears.

"And now I've scarred you for life too," he says.

She shakes her head. "I'm fine. I'm just so sorry."

She pauses. "But, for what it's worth, I think you're the most amazing, selfless guy I've ever met."

It's worth a lot. It's worth more than she could ever understand, and he doesn't try to explain it to her. He just tilts her chin up and gently kisses her.

It's all slowly deepening kisses and wandering hands from then on. Part of him knows that they're moving too fast and they shouldn't be doing this yet. But another part of him, the dominant part, says that they're both adults and it shouldn't matter. They have every right to do this. She can say stop whenever she wants, and he'll obey. But now both their shirts are off, he's fumbling with the clasp of her bra, and it's becoming obvious that no one is going to say no any time soon. All he can think about is how the last time he got laid was at Paul Holden's graduation party, and that was more than two years ago. There's no telling how long it will be before he gets another chance.

He does need something to get his mind off of things.

XXX

Darry gets home just after dark. Sodapop is sitting on the couch, and he cocks an eyebrow at him as he walks in. Darry kicks off his shoes and flops down next to Soda on the couch. He's suddenly exhausted.

"Where's Pony?" he asks.

Soda smirks. "Sleepin'. Slipped him one of those painkillers he got when he came home from the hospital. I'm hopin' he's out for the night."

On the TV, some poor man is failing miserably at The Newlywed Game, and his wife is looking less amused by the second.

"You were gone for a long time," Soda says.

Darry nods. "I know."

"You nailed her, didn't you?"

"_Soda_!"

"You did!" Sodapop laughs. "Oh, man! Congratulations. Can't say I'm not a little jealous."

"I didn't say I did anything with her."

"You didn't have to. I have a sixth sense for these things."

"Oh, god," Darry says. "I need a drink."

Sodapop is still roaring with laughter as Darry walks into the kitchen for a beer.

"Glad you're happy!" he calls to Sodapop as he searches for a bottle opener.

But he's smiling. He's happy too.

* * *

So there's my take on how the Curtis parents died. And Betty can be fast if she wants to be ;)

I'd love and appreciate any feedback! :D


	4. Chapter 4

Darry comes home from work one night in mid-March to find Sodapop sitting on the couch and smoking a cigarette. The full ashtray tells Darry that he's been at it for a while. Something is wrong. Soda doesn't normally smoke, but the week that Ponyboy was gone, when Sandy left, and right after their parents died, he smoked like a chimney. Darry knows that he's sweaty and covered in dry roofing tar, but he still sits down next to Sodapop.

"What's up, little buddy?" he asks.

Soda shrugs. "It's nothin'. Don't worry about it."

"I ain't stupid. Now you wanna tell me what's wrong? Did you get another speeding ticket?"

"Darry, it's nothing," Soda says. "Just let it go."

"Fine," he says. "I'm just gonna sit here until you tell me what's got you down."

"I swear," Soda mutters as he lights another cigarette. "It's always something with you, ain't it? Can't you just be happy that Ponyboy's grades are back up and that you and Betty are steady now? Just leave me alone. I'm telling you I'm fine."

"I ain't goin' nowhere."

Soda gets up and stomps out onto the porch. Darry waits for a few minutes before following him outside. He stands next to his brother, leaning on the porch railing. Soda finally sighs heavily and grinds out his cigarette.

"Steve's turning eighteen next month," he says. "And then he's out of high school in June."

Darry nods.

"And just … the war and everything…"

"You're afraid he'll get drafted?" Darry asks.

He's been worrying about that himself. But he's more worried for Sodapop than for Steve. In seven months, he'll be draft bait. And Darry doesn't know if he can handle losing another person. Not one of his brothers. Not Soda.

Sodapop shakes his head. "No. He wants to go to college. A community college or somethin'. Get some kind of mechanics degree and open a garage."

Darry's heart sinks as he thinks about his own dreams of going to college. They seem so far out of reach now. There's not enough money and not enough time, and he doesn't know if there ever will be. Not for him. Ponyboy, though, Darry knows that he'll go to college in a few years. He has to. One of them has to make it out of the north side.

"Never thought of Steve as the college type," Darry says.

He doesn't doubt that Steve is smart. He knows that Steve does well in school, and that he's actually going to graduate, which is more than a lot of guys in their neighborhood can say. Still, Steve isn't the type to sit around studying, and he'd rather be working on something than learning about it in a class. And even if he was the studying type, between the sick mother and the alcoholic father, the Randles are as good as broke.

"Where's he think he's gonna get the money?" Darry asks.

"He's been saving money," Soda says. "And the Army will give you money for school."

"He's joining up?"

Soda nods. "Figures he might as well."

"I'm sorry," Darry says after a long, stunned silence. "Hey, maybe they won't even send him to 'Nam. Maybe they'll put him in Germany or Japan or someplace. Since he's joining instead of waiting to get drafted."

He knows that's not going to happen while a war is going on. Unless there's some sort of miracle, Steve will go to Vietnam. But Darry will say anything to cheer his brother up. He doesn't like seeing him moping around the house, and he always manages to drag Ponyboy into a bad mood too.

"Darry?"

"Yeah?"

Soda sighs a long, shaking sigh. "I wanna go with him."

Darry's veins turn to ice. "No."

"We've got it all planned. He'll go to school, I'll get a business loan, and we'll open a garage together. And I could use the pension money to help pay for Ponyboy's college."

"No, Sodapop, you don't have it all planned. What happens if one of you dies? What happens if you _both_ die? Maybe he won't graduate from school. Maybe your loan won't get approved. What then, huh? You two didn't think this out at all, did you?"

"He's my best buddy," Soda says softly.

"Well, me and Pony are your family, and you should think of us first. Do you really think Ponyboy could go through losing you? Losing mom and Dad and Johnny just about killed him. I don't know what he'll do if you're gone. Hell, _I_ don't know what I'd do if you're gone."

Darry is tightly gripping the porch railing and forcing himself to keep his breathing steady. He's never wanted to take his brother by the shoulders and shake him more than he does right now. He wants to punch him, knock some sense into him. But the memory of the last time he hit one of his brothers keeps him from acting on that impulse. Sodapop might take it as a reason to run off to Vietnam with Steve.

"Just wanted to try and do something useful for once," Soda says. "Be with Steve in the Army, get some extra money to spend on Pony's college, find a good job I can do for the rest of my life…"

Soda turns and goes back in the house. Darry follows, trying to sort out his racing thoughts.

"Sodapop Patrick," he starts. Then he sighs and rubs his eyes with his palms.

There are so many things he wants to say, but all that comes out is, "no brother of mine is joining the military. You're not going to the goddamn jungle to get killed, and that's final."

"You won't have any say once I'm eighteen."

Darry wants to punch him. But instead, he punches the coffee table, leaving a dent and a large crack down the center. His hand is throbbing as he picks up the truck keys. He has to go somewhere to cool off. Any more time at home, and he might end up killing someone.

XXX

He drives all the way to the Safeway at the end of the Ribbon to make sure that he's calm enough, and then he calls Betty from a pay phone. Then he's back in his truck, headed to her apartment. He's calmed down enough to see her, but his heart is still beating hard, and he's gripping the steering wheel so tightly that he's sure his fingers will leave imprints on it.

Betty opens the door to her apartment and looks at him quizzically.

"Something happen at work?" she asks.

He's suddenly aware that he hasn't showered, and he's still in his filthy work clothes. He probably tracked dirt and tar and god knows what else into her apartment.

"Pearl around?" he asks.

"No. She's on a date. She'll probably be gone the whole night," Betty replies.

"Can I use your shower?"

She nods. "Come to my room when you're done."

XXX

He feels a little better once he's cleaned up. He's in no hurry to put his dirty clothes back on, so he wraps a towel around his waist and goes looking for Betty.

He finds her sitting on the bed in her room. There's a six-pack of beer on the nightstand. She's only wearing her slip.

"Close the door," she says.

He closes it, even though they have the whole apartment to themselves. Betty opens a beer and hands it to him. The two of them sit in silence while he drinks the first bottle. Then she opens another bottle, hands it to him, and lets him take a sip.

"You wanna talk?" she asks.

He sighs. "Sodapop and his friend Steve have this hair-brained scheme to join the army, and then use their GI Bill benefits to open a garage."

"Well, they're both good with cars, aren't they?"

"Yes, but they haven't thought it through. They're only seeing the good in this. They haven't thought about what would happen if…"

He swallows hard, takes a few more sips of his beer, and closes his eyes tight.

"If he dies over there, I can't even think about what that would do to Ponyboy," he says.

"And you too," Betty says.

He nods. "Yeah."

He finishes off his second beer, and Betty hands him a third. He doesn't think about how much he's drinking or how he'll get home. His mind is somewhere else.

"We could really use the extra money," he says.

He mentally kicks himself. "But no. No. It's not worth him getting killed over. Oh, god, how could I even think of that?"

He flops down on the bed, dropping and spilling his beer in the process. But Betty doesn't seem to notice. She just lays down next to him and drapes an arm over his chest.

"You've got a while to think about it," she says. "Don't gotta' decide anything today."

He sighs. She's right, but at the same time, he knows it will be in the back of his mind, eating at him, until he does.

"It'll all work out," she says.

But he's not sure that it will.

* * *

Serious Soda is serious, mad Darry is mad, and I'm not sure how I feel about it.

Special shoutout to 7.06andcounting and Hawaiichick! Thanks for reviewing every chapter so far! :D

I welcome all feedback from anyone who wants to give it! :)


	5. Chapter 5

Darry and Sodapop try their best to avoid each other for the next few days. It's easier than Darry thought it would be. They're gone at work most of the day, and then at night Sodapop goes out with Steve and Two-Bit or watches TV with Ponyboy. Darry has extra work because taxes are close to due, and there's a lot of paperwork to sort out for the company. He hasn't even started on his taxes, and he knows Sodapop can't be trusted to do his own, so he's sure he'll end up doing his too. He'll be spending nights sitting at the kitchen table and working for the foreseeable future.

It takes Ponyboy until Friday morning to notice the dent and crack in the coffee table. Sodapop says that Two-Bit was drunk and fell into it hard. Ponyboy buys it without a second thought.

Darry is still half-asleep even though the house is chaotic as usual. The weatherman on the local news is saying something about severe thunderstorms and a possibility for tornadoes. He's starting to process this information when the phone rings. It's work. No need to come out to the job site today. They're not going to risk it with such bad weather on the way. Part of him is relieved, because he's exhausted and there's still so much bookkeeping work to do. But another part of him knows that missing out on a day's pay will really hurt.

Sodapop comes into the kitchen and grabs a piece of cake out of the icebox. He starts to eat it without acknowledging Darry's presence.

"Work just called," he says. "Can't go in today 'cause of the storms."

Soda nods and takes another bite of cake.

"You be safe at work. Don't do anything stupid like try to drive to Pony's school and save him if a tornado is coming," Darry says. He meant it as a joke.

"I'm not an idiot," Soda says.

Darry sighs. "Soda…"

"I have to go. I'll be late," Soda replies.

He's out of the house in a flash, taking Steve and Ponyboy with him. The only sound is the droning voice of the weatherman on the TV. Darry flops down on the couch and rubs his eyes. Should he work on bookkeeping? Get a bit more sleep? Do bookkeeping and then sleep? Sleep and then do bookkeeping? There's a faint roll of thunder outside, and he gets a different, better idea. He picks up the phone.

XXX

"Pearl and Betty's place. We regret to inform you that we are completely out of everything except coffee, but thank God for small favors. How may I direct your call?"

Darry laughs. "Hey, Pearl. Betty up yet?"

"Yup. Hold on," she replies.

Betty comes on the line a minute later. "Hello?"

"Hey, you," Darry says.

"Hey yourself," she replies. "Surprised you're not already at work."

"Got cancelled today 'cause of the weather."

"Yeah? Well what're you gonna do with yourself all day?"

"I was hopin' you'd take the day off and come play hooky with me," he replies.

"Hmmm it's tempting," Betty replies. "Don't have many appointments today, and probably half will cancel if the weather's bad."

"'C'mon. Take a day off with me."

Betty giggles. "Pearl, do I look sick?"

He can faintly hear Pearl reply, "oh, awful! You should stay in, honey. I'll vouch for you."

"Guess that seals it," she says. "I'll be there soon."

XXX

The sheets are cool, her body is warm, and he can't believe he went without this for so long. She's running her hands through his hair and kissing him hard. He's kissing back and already has her bra off. It's so much better than work, and he says a silent thank you to the storm that's getting closer by the minute.

She pulls away from his mouth and starts nuzzling and kissing on his neck. He moans softly. Kisses on the neck have always been his weakness. Betty starts rubbing her hands along his back, paying extra attention to his shoulders, which she knows always hurt him. He doesn't think he's ever been so turned on.

"I want…" he pants.

She silences him with a kiss. She starts slowly kissing her way down his neck, his chest, and then to the flat muscles of his stomach. She keeps moving her kisses further and further down.

He tangles a hand in her hair and quietly moans, "glory, yes."

It's so, so much better than work. And after the week he's had, he deserves this.

XXX

Darry sighs contentedly, pulls Betty closer, and kisses her forehead. She's soft and warm in his arms. Outside the rain is coming down in sheets, and the sound of it on the roof is soothing. It's the kind of day that's best spent in bed, and he's glad that he has Betty to spend it with. He's happier with her than he's been in a long time. After three months of dating, a month and a half of which she was his steady girl, he's never been more sure of anything.

"I love you," he murmurs.

Betty smiles and kisses him. "I love you too."

He holds her tight, and the sound of the rain lulls them to sleep.

XXX

There's another storm rolling in. Ponyboy and Sodapop will be home any minute. Darry is sitting on the couch with receipts spread out on the coffee table and a ledger book on his lap. It's times like this when he understands why his boss pays him extra to balance the books. He can't keep organized records to save his life, so sorting everything out and recording it all takes ages. Anyone with half a brain would pawn it off on someone else.

Betty is curled up next to him, her head resting on his shoulder. She's putting his arm to sleep, but he doesn't say anything. Having her close to him is worth dealing with a dead arm for a few minutes. If he didn't have so much to do, they would still be in bed.

The door bangs open, and a soaking wet Sodapop steps inside. He holds the door open for a few seconds while waiting for Ponyboy, and a gust of wind blows all the receipts off the table.

"Blast it, Soda!" Darry says.

"Sorry, I'll try to do a better job of controlling the weather next time," Soda says.

He stomps off to the linen closet to get a towel, leaving muddy footprints behind him.

"That's it," Darry mutters. He gets up and follows Soda, leaving Ponyboy and Betty alone in the living room.

Betty starts gathering the receipts that blew off the coffee table, and Ponyboy sits down on the couch. After a minute of awkward silence, Betty says the only thing she can think of.

"Your hair looks really good. The colored part is blending nicely with the roots."

"Thanks," Ponyboy says softly.

He starts going through his pack of cigarettes, trying to find the one that's the driest. In the next room, Sodapop and Darry sound like they're having a heated argument, but it's hard to tell what they're saying through the wall.

"Darry said anything to you?" Ponyboy asks. "He and Soda have been hacked off at each other all week."

Betty sighs. "Something about he and his friend Steve want to join the Army and use their benefits to open an auto shop? I'm sure nothing will come of it. The whole thing is pretty half-baked."

Ponyboy's face goes white. He takes a long drag off his cigarette, and Betty notices his hand is shaking.

"Hey," she says softly. She puts a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be OK."

Ponyboy has barely smoked half his cigarette, but he grinds it out and stands up. He walks off, and a few minutes later, all three brothers are yelling at each other.

"Dear Lord, let a tornado suck me up and take me away," Betty says to herself as she steps out onto the porch.

XXX

She sits alone on the porch watching the storm for almost an hour before she hears the door creak open behind her. A defeated looking Darry joins her on the porch swing.

"I'm sorry," he says.

Betty takes his hand and laces her fingers between his. "It's OK. What's goin' on? Ya'll get somethin' figured out?"

Darry doesn't reply. He just stares absently ahead, watching the rain fall. He doesn't want to tell her, because telling people will only make it more real.

"Darry?" Betty asks.

He shakes his head. "His mind's made up. He's got it in his head that this is a good idea, and he's gonna go. I thought maybe Ponyboy could talk him out of it, 'cause they've always been close, but no dice. Once he's eighteen, it's out of my hands. I can't stop him."

"There's still plenty of time for him to change his mind."

"He's hard headed. It ain't gonna happen."

"Plenty of people go over and come back just fine," Betty says.

"You know, if he dies, me and Pony are the only ones left," Darry says after a minute. "There used to be five of us."

Betty doesn't say anything. She just squeezes his hand.

"And I just think, what if something happens to me? He'll be all on his own and…" his voice trails off and he bites down on his bottom lip. He's too close to crying for comfort.

"If something happens to him, I'm gonna be the only one of the family that's left," he says. His voice cracks on the last word, and he's not sure if it's tears or raindrops running on his face.

Betty brushes away the water droplets on his face and kisses him on the cheek.

"What can I do?" she asks.

He doesn't know what to tell her. There's not a lot she can do. All he knows is that he doesn't want to be alone.

"Just sit with me for a while?" he asks.

"Ok," Betty says softly. "Ok."

* * *

I made Darry's second job book keeping for the roofing company that he works for, because S.E. Hinton said something cryptic on Twitter a while ago that implied that was his second job.

Pearl has a thing about answering the phone in weird ways. It's just her ;)

Hope my "fade to black" love scene wasn't too intense for you guys. I tried to keep it PG.

I always love getting reviews!


	6. Chapter 6

Summer comes, and Ponyboy finishes the year with a mix of As and Bs on his report card and the assurance that he still has a spot on the A squad track team for the coming year. He's not quite back to his old self, and Darry is starting to think that he'll never be the same again. But he's at least functioning, which is more than he was able to do back in the fall, and he's even been out with friends almost every night since summer started.

Darry starts getting more hours at work. Roofing jobs are harder work and longer, more tiring days than the inside jobs that he gets during the winter. But they also pay better, and the family is hurting for money, so he can't complain too much. He just wishes that he had more time to spend with his brothers. And also that he had more time to be with Betty, especially if she's in one of those low-cut sundresses that she likes so much.

But Betty doesn't seem to mind Darry's busier work schedule. She comes over most nights after the salon closes and sits quietly next to Darry on the couch. She reads or looks at fashion magazines while he works on bookkeeping or paying bills. They don't do much talking, but every now and then, she'll go in for a kiss or whisper an 'I love you' in his ear. And even though he can't give her his undivided attention, he still loves having her around. Her presence, the fact that she's there and trying her best to make things work means a lot to him. He has a hard time putting how much he appreciates it into words, but after Pony and Soda go to sleep, he tries his best to show her in his bed.

She starts out leaving late at night, but that pretty quickly turns into her sleeping over and leaving early in the morning before Pony and Soda wake up. Then, she and Darry oversleep one morning, and they're forced to face his brothers.

Darry leaves the bedroom first, and Betty sheepishly follows. Ponyboy's eyes get big, and then his face goes bright red. Sodapop just laughs.

"Was wonderin' when you'd stop pretending she's not sleeping over," Soda says.

"You _knew_?" Ponyboy asks.

Sodapop cocks an eyebrow. "You didn't? Glory, Pony, I knew you were a deep sleeper, but this really takes the cake."

Ponyboy is still staring at the two of them in shock. Soda turns to Darry and shrugs.

"Our beds share a wall, and ya'll two ain't exactly quiet."

"You alright over there, Ponyboy?" Betty asks after a few seconds of silence.

Ponyboy nods, but he's still bright red and obviously uncomfortable.

"Just need a smoke," he mumbles as he hurries out of the room.

The screen door slams. Betty and Soda share a look, and then the two of them burst out laughing. Darry just stands in silence. Truth be told, he's almost as embarrassed as Ponyboy.

"We'll move the bed to the other wall," Darry says once their laughter has died down.

Sodapop nods. "I think that would be best."

XXX

Soda comes in late one night in June. The TV is on, but it's off the air. Betty is sitting up reading a magazine, and Darry is asleep with his head on her lap. Soda smirks and Betty touches a finger to her lips, gesturing for Soda to be quiet. He kicks off his shoes, turns off the TV, and then sits down in the armchair.

"How long's he been out?" Soda asks.

Betty shrugs. "Couple hours I guess. Thought about trying to get him up and to bed, but he just looked so peaceful. Gonna give him a while longer to wake up on his own."

Soda nods.

"So you and Steve have fun?" Betty asks. "I'd tell you about how crazy the graduation party I went to was, but, honestly, I don't remember."

He laughs. "Yeah. Guess he had more fun than I did, though. Practically had to carry him to his house. Recon he won't be havin' too much fun tomorrow morning, though."

Betty nods. Darry sighs and slightly shifts his position, but he doesn't wake up.

"I really wish you'd reconsider this Vietnam idea," Betty says after a few minutes of silence. "I mean, I know it's not my place to say so, and he'd hate that I'm telling you all this, 'cause he can't even admit it to himself. But Darry is just scared to death that you won't come back."

Soda sighs and reaches for the pack of cigarettes and lighter on the coffee table.

"I know it," he says. "Hell, even Steve is telling me that I shouldn't feel like I have to go. Ponyboy hasn't quit begging me to stay. But I'm doin' it for him. Maybe Steve and I will get our garage, and maybe we won't. But that don't change the fact that we need all the money we can get for Pony's college."

"You won't do anyone any good if you're dead."

Soda takes a long drag off his cigarette. "That's a risk I've gotta take."

Betty sighs and starts stroking Darry's hair. She knows that she won't change his mind. If his best friend and his brothers can't, then nobody can. But at least she can say she tried.

"You're really good for him, you know that?" Soda says. "Haven't seen him this happy in a long time. He's actin' more like he's twenty-one instead of fifty now that you're around."

"Thanks," Betty says.

"You better not break his heart," Soda says. "Lord knows he's had enough of that. And 'sides, someone's gotta keep him in line while I'm away in the jungle."

Betty smiles and moves her hand down to Darry's back, rubbing small circles on his shoulders.

"I'm not goin' anywhere any time soon," She says. "If anyone's gonna call it quits, it's gotta be him."

XXX

Summer marches on, and with every day that goes by, Darry feels more and more like he's watching a time bomb ticking toward zero. He knows that October will arrive before he knows it, and then there will be nothing stopping Sodapop from leaving. For a while, Darry and Pony talked to Soda almost every day to try and make him change his mind. He can still hear Pony through the wall at night, pleading with Soda to stay.

But Darry has all but given up on changing his brother's mind. After hearing Sodapop justify his decision over and over, he's starting to think he might be right. Most people do come back. Opening an auto shop with Steve is a good future for both of them. But, most importantly, they need the money he'll get for Pony's college. Darry doesn't want to see his youngest brother's dreams slip away like his did because of money.

But he still finds himself laying awake at night, listening to Betty's soft breathing, and trying not to make himself sick from worrying about losing him.

XXX

The screen door opens and quietly closes. Footsteps start, and then Sodapop is standing in the kitchen doorway. He cocks an eyebrow.

"What're you still doin' up?" he asks. "You got work early."

Darry sets down the tumbler that has filled itself with whiskey and then magically drained itself five times over.

"So do you," he says. His words are a little slurred, and he knows he should have paced himself better.

Soda sighs and fills up a glass of water for Darry. He drinks it all in two gulps. He'll need more water than that if he wants to avoid a hangover in the morning. But he'll worry about that later.

"Happy birthday," Darry says.

"Thanks," Soda says. He looks down at his feet.

"Guess you and Steve can go through with your master plan now," Darry says.

"Guess so," Soda replies.

Darry shoves his fists in his pockets. "Stay through the holidays?"

Soda looks up.

"Halloween and Thanksgiving and Christmas can't be much fun in the army anyway," Darry says. "Just stick around until New Year's. Please?"

Soda is quiet and blank faced for a long minute. Then he finally nods.

"Ok," he says. "Through the holidays."

* * *

Lots of time passing here, but this is just kind of a filler chapter. Not a lot happens until Steve and Soda leave for Vietnam, so I figured this was the best way to write it without dragging the fic out.

I always appreciate reviews! :D


	7. Chapter 7

On New Year's Eve, Betty shaves Soda and Steve's heads in the bathroom. Their bus to boot camp leaves at noon. Just twelve more hours, and then they'll be gone. Ponyboy looks like he's about to cry and has already smoked a whole pack of cigarettes. Darry can't shake the feeling that something awful is going to happen. And all that Steve and Soda can do is talk about their hair. Darry wants to slap them both. They're so stuck on how weird they look bald or how they miss their hair. Neither one of them is mentioning how they're going to be gone for over a year or how there's a very real possibility that they won't come back.

Darry doesn't think he'll ever be able to enjoy New Year's again. First he lost his parents, and now he's losing his brother and one of his oldest friends. It wouldn't matter if he drank a whole bottle of bourbon. Those thoughts will always be in the back of his mind.

He's conflicted. Part of him wants to stay at their little party. He'll sit up all night if that means he gets to spend more time with his brother. But at the same time, he wants to be alone. He hates Ponyboy looking so sad and smoking so much, and he can't stand Steve and Soda making jokes and acting like tomorrow is just going to be another day. But he knows that, whatever he does, he won't sleep tonight.

He's alone in the kitchen, pouring himself another drink, when Betty comes up behind him and wraps her arms around his waist.

"How're you holding up?" she asks.

Darry just sighs and shakes his head. He doesn't want to talk. He doesn't know where to start.

But Betty understands. She just nods and kisses him softly.

"You know I'm here," she says. She pours herself a glass of wine, and then she disappears back into the living room.

Darry takes a few sips straight from his bottle of whiskey before he grabs his glass off the counter and heads back to the living room to join the others.

XXX

Steve rides with them to the bus station. Ponyboy has been crying all morning, Soda is smoking a cigarette, and Steve just stares absently out the window. Darry is clenching his jaw so tightly that he's sure he'll break a tooth. It just doesn't feel real, and he keeps thinking that he'll wake up next to Betty any minute.

But they get to the bus station, and he still doesn't wake up. They park, walk inside, and Steve hangs back to let the brothers say goodbye. Soda's bus leaves in fifteen minutes. It's not long enough. Darry's not ready to tell him goodbye, and he knows he never will be. Ponyboy and Sodapop are hugging. Pony is crying, and Soda is telling him that he'll be back before he knows it. Just in time for graduation, he says. Ponyboy keeps saying that it's not too late to change his mind, but Sodapop just keeps repeating that he'll be back soon. They finally pull apart, and Soda turns to Darry.

There's so much he wants to say, but he can't seem to find the words.

"Be careful," he finally manages. "Use your head."

Soda nods. "Same to you. Don't go knocking Betty up. I ain't ready to be uncle Sodapop."

Darry smiles faintly. Soda sees something in his eyes, and he sighs.

"Don't you worry about me," he says. "You got enough worries. I'm gonna be fine."

"I know," Darry says. But he doesn't believe it. He won't rest easy until Sodapop is back home.

A voice comes on a speaker saying that Soda's bus is about to leave, and then everything seems to move at a freakishly fast speed. The brothers share one last hug, Darry shakes Steve's hand, and then they're gone. Darry is suddenly exhausted and feels like he just got the wind knocked out of him. He felt the same way after his parents' funeral. And just like after their funeral, he's faced with the task of comforting his younger brother. He puts an arm around Pony's shoulder.

"Let's get out of here, little brother," he says. "Let's go home."

XXX

Betty is at the house waiting for them when they get home. Darry doesn't even have a chance to greet her before Ponyboy is in her arms and sobbing into her hair. She gives Darry a confused look and shrugs her shoulders. Darry shakes his head and returns the shrug. Betty starts running her hands up and down Pony's back, softly saying reassurances and trying to get him to calm down. It's just as well. Betty has a way with words that he doesn't, and Ponyboy has really warmed up to her. There's cleaning and work to do, and as much as he hates himself for it, he was dreading spending the day sitting on the couch with Ponyboy and trying to comfort him. He needs to keep moving. He needs to stay distracted.

It's not until he's cleaning the kitchen counter for the third time that he realizes just how much he wishes he had Betty to distract him. And then he remembers the bottle and a half of whiskey in that small, awkward cabinet above the stove. He grabs the half-empty bottle and steps out onto the back porch. Booze and cool, fresh air sounds like as good a distraction as anything.

XXX

He hasn't been this drunk since high school. Even after his parents died and he polished off a case of beer by himself, he managed to avoid the spins. But this time is different. The room is spinning and his stomach is churning, and he knows that he shouldn't have drank so much. But at least now he's numb, and his mind is blank.

The bedroom door creaks open, and then Betty is laying next to him.

"Finally got Ponyboy to sleep," she says. "How're you doing?"

He doesn't reply. He just pulls Betty close and kisses her, letting the taste of alcohol do the talking. She wriggles closer to him once the kiss is over, and he tightens his arms around her. The familiar sound of her breathing is calming, and he falls into a deep, drunk sleep.

* * *

I'd love some reviews! :D


	8. Chapter 8

The house doesn't feel the same now that Sodapop is gone, and Darry doesn't know how he's going to stand it for a year. They're just over a month in, and he's already sick of it. If he had more time and more money, he would pack up everything and move. Hell, he's even considering it now. A change of scenery won't make him miss Soda any less, but maybe it'll get rid of the empty feeling that seems to have settled over the house.

He feels like he hardly even sees Ponyboy any more. Track started back up, so he has practices after school most days and track meets on Saturdays. He also has group projects in a couple of his classes, so he's spending a lot more time at the library or at his project partners' houses. And then he started taking out a girl, so he's with her some, too. So Darry is forced to be content with only seeing him for a few minutes in the morning and an hour or two at night. He finds himself almost wishing that his brother's grades would slip. At least that way, he'd get to keep him in the house and see more of him.

Darry thanks god every night for Betty. She's trying her best to be around more, and Darry is grateful for that. When she's not snuggled up next to him on the couch, she's helping Ponyboy with his French homework or talking to him about books. On Saturday mornings, she's bouncing around the house doing old Will Rogers High cheers in an attempt to get him excited before track meets, but really she's just getting on his nerves. She's even surprised Darry a couple of times by coming over on her days off and cleaning the house. It's saved his ass when the social worker was about to come by. He still doesn't get to see her as much as he'd like, but it's something. He doesn't know what he'd do without her.

But even with Betty around, he's replaced the fifth of whiskey in that small, awkward cabinet above the stove four times since Soda left. And then there's the beer he's been drinking. He's always been a calm, composed drunk, and he has no problem with holding his liquor. But he's been to work hungover twice, and that's two times too many for him. But at night, when he's home, he's always able to rationalize having one more drink. The only problem is it's never just one more.

He doesn't know if Betty and Ponyboy haven't noticed, or if they have and they're just not saying anything, but he doesn't care. Relatively speaking, he drank more than this on the weekends in high school, and he can cut back whenever he wants to.

XXX

"I don't like that girl," Betty says. There's a bite in her voice that he hasn't heard in a long time.

"She's not related to Linda Carlson," Darry says as he grabs another beer from the fridge. "Don't got any reason to hate her."

"I know that. But she has a bad vibe, you know? I don't trust her."

"She seems fine to me," Darry replies.

"Well, when she breaks his heart, I'll let you clean up the mess."

"Dear Lord," Darry says. He flops down next to Betty on the couch and pulls her in for a kiss.

When they come up for air, Betty's eyes are full of concern.

"Are you OK?" she asks. Her voice is timid, like she's afraid of making him mad.

"Fine," he says. "Why do you ask?"

She shrugs. "It's nothing. You've just been drinking a lot lately, and…"

"Shoot, you know I could drink the whole senior class under the table," he says, cutting her off. He wants her to drop it.

"I know, but you weren't drinking much at all until Sodapop left. Are you sure everything's OK? You know you can talk to me."

He's far from OK. He misses his brother, and even though he's still in the country in Basic, he hasn't heard from him in a week. The thought of him being in Vietnam and having to go a month or more without any word of whether he's alive or not is petrifying. But it's not worth bringing up. Carrying on as if everything is normal has done him well so far.

"I'm fine," he says. He gives Betty another kiss. "What do you say we take advantage of having the house to ourselves?"

He knows that Betty can't say no. He kisses her hard and pulls her onto his lap. His half-finished beer sits forgotten on the coffee table. With any luck, the talk about his drinking will also be forgotten.

XXX

The track scouts start sniffing around toward the end of April, and it reminds Darry of his high school days playing football. The football scouts watched him and seemed so interested and promised him everything in his wildest dreams if he would sign on with them. The truth, when it came out, was heartbreaking. They would hardly cover half of his expenses for college, and he was forced to watch his dreams crumble in front of him.

Now, he's watching the same thing happen with Ponyboy, and he wonders if they're just being naïve. The whole family has been banking on him getting scholarships for athletics and academics, even though Darry wasn't able to get the same thing just a few years earlier. He tells himself that there are fewer track stars than football players, so Ponyboy has a better chance. But that fear is still in the back of his mind. They have even less money now than they did when he was looking at colleges. Darry knows it would crush his youngest brother if he wasn't able to go to college, and he's going to do everything in his power to make sure that doesn't happen.

XXX

The summer before Ponyboy's senior year comes, and Oklahoma State is the most interested. They're practically begging Ponyboy to enroll and offering him close to a full ride. They want him to come tour the first Wednesday of summer vacation. But Darry has a big project going on at work, and there's no way he can skip out a day without getting on his boss's bad side.

But then Betty volunteers to take him over to Stillwater. Wednesday is usually her day off anyway. She went to State for a year, so she'll be good for showing him around. And as much as Darry hates that he can't go with them, he agrees to let her take him. It's just one campus visit, and he's sure that he'll get an opportunity to go somewhere with him later on.

* * *

I don't know if I made this clear, but I probably didn't. Betty went to Oklahoma State for a year to appease her parents, and then when she hated it, she dropped out and went to beauty school. Based on my own rush experience, I imagined her as being an Alpha Delta Pi while she was there. I tried to see if they were at OSU at the time, but their website kinda sucks :-/

Reviews always make my day! :D


	9. Chapter 9

It's the morning of Ponyboy's scheduled visit to Oklahoma State, and they're all standing outside in the driveway. It's hardly seven-thirty, but they can already tell it's going to be a hot and humid day. Darry is dreading going out to the job site. Working around all that hot tar is going to be miserable.

"I'm real sorry I can't go with you," Darry says.

Ponyboy shrugs. "It's OK."

"We'll have fun," Betty says. "I'll show him all the liquor stores that don't ask for ID so he can buy beer underage, introduce him to my pot dealer friends, show him how to sneak into the bars, point out all the best party houses…"

"Jesus Christ," Darry says. He knows Betty is joking, but it's too early and too hot and he's too tired for this.

Betty squeezes his hand. "It'll be fine, Dar. We'll go to the library or something. Good, clean fun. Honestly, it's like you think I'm some kind of criminal."

Darry sighs. He's regretting not having that second cup of coffee. He knows that his brother is in good hands with Betty, but that doesn't make him feel any less guilty that he can't go with them.

"Sorry. Just be careful."

"Only if you promise not to work to hard," Betty says.

Darry smiles. "I won't."

"Good, then we'll be careful," Betty says. "We'll see you tonight."

Darry gives her a kiss goodbye, and then she and Ponyboy get in her car. Darry gets in his truck, and they go their separate ways.

At a stoplight on the way out of town, Betty puts on a pair of Jackie Kennedy sunglasses, looks over at Ponyboy, and smiles mischievously.

"What happens in Stillwater stays in Stillwater. It'll be our little secret."

Ponyboy laughs. "Darry'll kill you if he even thinks you let me drink."

Betty smiles and shakes her head. "When he was your age, Darry was doing shots and keg stands at lakehouse parties every weekend."

Ponyboy is well aware of his brother's past. He knows he spent weekends partying at his Soc friends' houses, even though it's not something that Darry readily talks to him about. But he figures that Betty will be more open, and it's almost two hours to Stillwater. They need to make conversation somehow.

"Got any embarrassing stories?" Ponyboy asks.

"About Darry?" Betty says. "No, he's never been a crazy drunk. Me, on the other hand, I'll just say I don't wanna talk about it and leave it at that."

She's quiet for a few seconds, and then she starts to laugh.

"Wait, I do have one good one. So this one time, we were at our friend Barry Brady's lake house for a party. Darry and Paul Holden had split a bottle of Jack, so they were both pretty trashed, and they were on the dock tossing a football back and forth. Then Darry doesn't catch the ball, and it goes in the water. So he says, 'hang on! I'll get it!', and then he jumps into the lake still wearing his clothes and shoes and everything. As drunk as we was, it's a wonder he didn't drown. God knows none of us were in a state to go in and save him."

"Think he'd ground me until I left for college if he found out I did something like that," Ponyboy says once he's done laughing at the story.

"He had some wild times," Betty says. "But it was different then. He had to grow up too fast. You both did. You should've had a chance to get drunk and smoke grass and be stupid while you were still in high school like we did."

Ponyboy nods and takes his pack of cigarettes out of his pocket. "Can I smoke?"

"Sure."

They're quiet while Ponyboy smokes his cigarette.

"I know he's hard on you, and he wouldn't let you get away with half the stuff he did, but it's because he loves you. You're all the family that's left, and he doesn't want to lose you," Betty says.

"If I had a dollar for every time I heard that…"

"Well, it's the truth."

Ponyboy lights another cigarette. He's getting more nervous the closer they get to Stillwater.

"You really love him?" he asks.

She smiles without even realizing she's doing it and nods. "I really do."

"What's it like?"

Betty sighs. She's still smiling. "I don't know. I'm happy when we're together, and I miss him when we're apart. I don't wanna' think about my future if he's not in it. I'd do anything to make him happy. I just know, you know?"

Ponyboy is quiet for a minute. He starts absently flicking his lighter open and closed.

"I don't think I love Cathy."

"I never liked her," Betty says flatly.

Then, after a pause, "I'm sorry. That was rude."

But Ponyboy is smiling faintly. "It's OK."

"Just don't worry about it today, alright?" Betty says. "She's not here, so just put her out of your mind. Don't let her ruin this for you. Let's have some fun while we're here. You've earned it."

"OK," Ponyboy says. He puts his lighter and his cigarettes back in his pocket. "OK."

And they do have fun. Ponyboy meets with the track coaches, and they seem even more impressed with him after their meeting. He knows that nothing is set in stone yet, but they've all but offered him a full ride. Then he and Betty walk around the campus for a while. She shows him her old dorm building, her sorority's house, and the fraternity house that always has the best parties. They go by the library on their way off campus. And on their way out of town, she points out one of the liquor stores that doesn't ask to see an ID.

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Hopefully this wasn't too boring. I just wanted to do a Ponyboy and Betty chapter, and this seemed like a good opportunity. It also let me relive some of my crazy college times...

I would love some reviews! :D


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